Nostalgia Large Ice Cream Maker Review

If you are looking at getting a large ice cream maker, then this is definitely one made by Nostalgia is definitely one that you should consider.

The majority of ice cream makers that I see for sale are for 1.5 quart or 2 quart ice cream makers. I don’t know about you, but that’s just not enough! If I’m making ice cream at home, I want a bit more so that I can save some delicious ice cream for later on in the week! If you are after a smaller ice cream maker, then you could consider the ICE-21 (check my review here!) as this is my pick of the bunch for cheap, smaller ice cream makers.

Anyway, let’s look at the Nostalgia and see why I think it’s one of the best options for a large ice cream maker.

Size

The Nostalgia is much larger than your standard ice cream maker. A standard ice cream maker is usually 1.5 quarts, so this is double the size. This is great for larger families and those that are looking for something that will produce a heck of a lot of ice cream. It’s not so big however, that it’s going to get in the way of your kitchen and obstruct the other equipment.

Electric

I have to admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for manual ice cream makers, but that doesn’t mean I’m adverse to a top quality electric one like this. They are usually much easier for your everyday folk to use, as you don’t need to spend lots of time manually churning your ice cream.

Easy to Clean

It’s my pet peeve that people create ice cream maker that are difficult to clean. It’s so unnecessary to have loads of crevices for ice cream to get stuck.. why do it?! Well, at least you don’t need to worry about that with the Nostalgia, as it’s extremely easy to clean. All it takes is a quick soak and wipe down after use and it’ll be good to go again!

No Pre Freeze

Did I say that it’s my pet peeve when it’s difficult to clean an ice cream maker? Well, this is a close second. With many ice cream makers you have to pre freeze to ensure that it’s cold enough for your ice cream to be churned properly. You DON’T need to worry about this with the Nostalgia, as you can do this easily wiht pre freezing.

Salt & Ice

You will need to lays the edges of this ice cream maker with salt and ice, which isn’t the norm. With other ice cream makers, you can add the salt after, but it doesn’t really make much of a difference. Still, I thought that I had better mention this because it does affect the way that you will produce ice cream.

Old Fashioned

To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t really know why this “Nostalgia” ice cream maker is commended so much as being old fashioned. Sure, it looks vintage but it certainly doesn’t work in a vintage way – I mean come on, it’s electric! Anyway, I guess it’s old fashioned appearance does make it look good, so if this is something that concerns you then the Nostalgia will undoubtedly look good in your kitchen.

It’s faster

One of the main reasons that I like this ice cream maker is that it’s much faster at making ice cream than a regular ice cream maker. This is because the churning mechanism works faster, without affecting the quality of the ice cream in general. Mmm, delicious!

It’s safe for kids

The safety mechanisms in this ice cream maker make it suitable for children to use, too. This is one of the reasons that I’ve picked it as my favorite, because I can use it with my grandchildren without worrying about them hurting their fingers.

Different Options

Many ice cream makers only intend for you to use their ice cream mixes. This is pretty much the same with this one, as they advertise their own ice cream mixtures pretty vigorously.

This doesn’t mean to say you cannot use other ice cream mixes; you can! This ice cream maker will work well with a wide variety of different mixes, so don’t worry if you think you can only use it with Nostalgia products.

Pros

The size is a major plus for this ice cream maker. If you want to make enough ice cream to last you for a few weeks, then this one would be a fantastic choice because although there’s an abundance of smaller ice cream makers on the market, there isn’t too many available at four quarts or more.

You don’t need to chill the ice cream tub before you use it. Some ice cream makers require that you chill the tub first or leave it in the freezer for a few hours, but that isn’t really necessary with this one – although it may give you better results.

Electric ice cream makers are a great choice if you don’t want to do the mixing yourself. You won’t need to wait too long for this maker to produce you a decent quality ice cream.

Cons

If you have a small kitchen, then this isn’t going to be the best option for you. It takes up a significant amount of space in your kitchen, which eventually can get pretty annoying.

It’s not a heavy duty ice cream maker by any means. What does this imply? Well, you don’t want to leave it in the freezer for to long because it may make it more difficult for you to scoop the ice cream out of the barrel.

Overall Verdict

Overall, I’d say that this is a fantastic ice cream maker if you’re looking to have some fun with the kids and play around. It’s very simple to use, so you don’t need to worry about your kids having difficulty using it. A very good option if you want a basic, relatively cheap ice cream maker that gets the job done.